By Meg Hodson
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Moms Meet. I received complimentary product for my post. All opinions remain 100% my own. #momsmeet #ad
I am an avid cook for my family. Except for Friday night pizza and the occasional splurge here and there, it is homemade meals throughout the week. I am best friends' with my dry erase calendar, which I fill up at the beginning of each month with meal assignments for each day.
One of my favorite meals to prepare is a roasted chicken. My children love chicken and this is the perfect "starter" to numerous meals (more on that below).
I tried out a new line of fresh chicken that I picked up at my near-by Wal-Mart called Harvestland. I chose one of their whole chickens around 5 pounds. It was refreshing to find out that all chickens are raised on family farms with very strict USDA Process Verified programs, which ensures that the chickens are fed all-vegetarian diets with no animal by-products, raised cage-free, and are never given any antibiotics, ever. They also offer organic chicken as well.
Simple Herb Roasted Chicken
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes - 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes - 1 hours 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 3/4 cube butter
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground parsley
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the chicken well and drain cavity if necessary. Gently loosen the skin across the breasts of the bird. Place in large baking dish. Take 1/2 tablespoon of the kosher salt and sprinkle the cavity and outside of the bird.
- Combine the butter, the rest of the salt, and all the spices and melt together. Gently spoon some of the butter mixture under the skin of the breasts of the bird. Rub half of the remaining mixture across the top of the breast skin, the legs, and wings. Truss (tie) the legs together with twine. If you like, you can dice some potatoes and add to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Cook approximately 15-20 minutes per pound until it reaches 165 degrees (check with a eat thermometer). About half way through cooking, drizzle the remaining butter mixture across the top of the bird.
- Carve and serve!
I try to get as many meals as I can out of one chicken. Once you carve the chicken, put all the bones and extra fatty parts into a large pot and fill with water until the bones are covered. Add a teaspoon of salt if desired and simmer on low for 2-3 hours. Freeze and use for soups. making rice, etc. It's rich in vitamins, especially calcium.
Sometimes I make soup the very next day. Chicken broth is a great base for most soups. We love cheddar broccoli soup in our house.
Any leftover chicken meat gets used in school lunches for sandwiches, tossed in caesar salad, and also creates another meal. I shred the chicken and use in enchiladas or burritos. Or, I make a chicken alfredo.
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